Are feathers in my hat allowed through UK & Irish customs?

I wear a hat with feathers stuck in the band. Can I bring/wear them through customs into UK & Rep of Ireland? And then re-enter Australia? (possibly with a couple more I find when over there.. :-)

customs-and-immigration

Best Answer

From the Restricted items page on HMRC:

The following are also banned but in certain cases may be brought into the UK if they are not for commercial use:
fur skin of harp and hooded seals pups and products made from such fur
cat and dog fur and products made from such fur
finished goods of certain fur skins covered for personal and private use
Note that this is not a full list, but it includes the most important examples.

So given that they need you to declare fur items, it's almost certain they'll want to know about feathers. As they say, if in doubt, declare - they may say it's ok, or fumigate it to make sure (a friend brought an ostrich egg into NZ, they fumigated it and then were fine).

For Australia, from their biosecurity page:

feathers, bones, horns, tusks, wool and animal hair

are definitely in their list of items to declare. Again, it doesn't mean it will be removed from your possession, just that they want to check it - often to make sure it doesn't have bugs or something.

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Can you import bird feathers?

As stated on the US Fish and Wildlife Services website, The Migratory Bird Treaty Act makes it illegal to take, possess, import, export, transport, sell, purchase, barter, or offer for sale, purchase, or barter, any migratory bird, or the parts*, nests, or eggs of such a bird except under the terms of a valid Federal ...

Why did hats have feathers?

In prosperous trading centres, the locals started sporting hats bedecked with feathers from parrots, cranes and swallows. Headgear was manufactured so that feathers could be inserted more easily.

Can you take fur into UK?

The fur and skin of endangered animals or fish, or goods made from them, such as jewellery, shoes, bags and belts are banned for trade import into the UK unless you have a valid permit.

Can you import ostrich feathers?

FEATHERS FROM DUCKS, GEESE, ROOSTERS, TURKEYS, AND GUINEA FOWL DO NOT REQUIRE A USFW EXPORT DECLARATION. ALL OTHER TYPES OF FEATHERS SUCH AS PHEASANT AND OSTRICH REQUIRE AN EXPORT DECLARATION. PEACOCK FEATHERS CANNOT BE EXPORTED.

How To: Add Feathers to a Hat

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